Why Code in Python+C When You Can Code in Lisp+Zig

Explore the advantages of combining GNU Guile Lisp with Zig as an alternative to Python and C in bioinformatics software development. Delve into a 27-minute conference talk by Pjotr Prins from the University of Tennessee, presented at ACM SIGPLAN's DeclMed'23. Learn about Zig's minimalistic approach, blazingly fast compiler, and focus on performance as a potential replacement for C and even C++. Discover how Zig's C-ABI compatibility and lack of garbage collection make it ideal for binding with other languages. Understand the benefits of using two complementary languages: one for quick coding (Lisp) and another for performance (Zig). Compare this approach to traditional Python+C combinations and learn why it may offer advantages over fighting with Rust's borrow checker.